I have to add--b*tch/b*tchs in common reference to girls/woman by either either gender. When I hear that I just want to punch people in the head!!! The worse and I don't know how this got to be so popular--grrrrrrrrrrr
And 'sucks'--something sucks--I have used it that way coz it was novel but I remember it's more offensive long form use and don't like it at all.

It's funny to think how many of you I would probably offend on a daily basis...

I gave one of my coworkers a list of the 100 most beautiful words (selected by some famous wordsmith) and it made a nice antidote to this thread.

Although I don't think "fugacious" deserved a spot on that list...

Ms Maven: I'm *so* on the same page as you re "wala" for "voila" ... although I think it may be a derivative of some European language pronunciations of the word, where the "v" sound is pronounced "w".

Patty: Until I went to college, I had never sworn. My parents didn't swear - I had no exposure to the language, as it were.

Howevah!

Dorm living exposed me to an entirely new level of expression ... LOL! Once I'd become immured to the sound of the words, I embraced them. So expressive! By the time I graduated I was fluent. :-O

Fugacious---Agree Maya. I had to look that one up-----like evanescence as it's synonym better, smoother, less clumpy sounding.
Deb--I have backed down a bit. I think I sound more like Fred Flintstone around the kids- rusum frusum fraken...

Count me in on Team Hate "Sexy". Drives me nuts. I almost lost my head when my 7yo daughter asked if something was sexy. Makes me want to kill something. My other hated word is tits. ARG! Please use the proper word: boobies.

Along the same lines as "wala," I am driven utterly mad by "would of, could of, should of." People! Do you not READ??

Swearing... I will admit, I am NOT ladylike in any way and certainly not when it comes to language. In fact, I am an avid fan of creative swearing and to quote a beloved movie I have a good friend who "[works] in profanity the way other artists might work in oils or clay."

As far as words that bother me, they're usually ones that infantilize animals, such as "fur babies" or "doggies" particularly when they flow from the mouths of other dog professionals. It just rubs me the wrong way.

Oh, and "hottie". That one irks me! (I love 'irk". Also I love "vexed".)

So funny reading this thread, it's putting a smile on my tired face.

OK, I have no problem with sexy, panties, or hot. It makes me think of fun things I can do! I have to agree with RandomThought that "Hotties" is borderline however.

Here's my list (ranging from least to most annoying):
hooters
hun
punkin (pumpkin pronounced correctly is OK)
youngster
wholesome

And the #1 most annoying word to Denise is:
Eeeewwww
... not really a word but a fairly popular expression these days and spoken directly in my face by my boyfriends ex-wife whenever I run into her.

This thread is so funny... I have been wracking my brain for days, but I can't think of any words that bug me just based on the sound. I do, however, get really bothered when:

1- Someone tries to translate my name, calling me Raquel, Rochelle, Rachelle. It's a NAME, people. It's always Rachel!

2- People misuse common phrases/idioms. I hate when people say, "I could care less," when they really mean to say, "I couldn't care less." If you CAN care less, then you clearly care more than the least amount possible! Others include "bring in the new year" instead of "ring in the new year" and "helpless romantic" instead of "hopeless romantic."

Okay, I have to comment again - I'm with both of you! "Punkin" drives me NUTS and my MIL always says it that way. She even had a dog named that. Bleh! And "could care less"? Well then you care! Totally on board with that.

Denise, your BF's ex sounds like a real charmer.

Okay, if we're talking word use, I really can't stand "anymore" used at the beginning of a sentence. When people say "Anymore people don't know grammar", for example, it drives me batty. I told my husband it's like using "too" at the beginning of a sentence, as in "Too I want to go to the store." Grrr.

@ Random Thought: OMG - I *love* it: "[works] in profanity the way other artists might work in oils or clay." That's funny.

RT, are you quoting "A Christmas Story"? Love it! "The f-dash-dash-dash..."

Una I've never heard anyone start a sentence with "anymore." That doesn't even make sense, what?

Words don't bother me, especially not swear words (I'm more of a "watercolor" swearer ). Improper grammar/word/punctuation use bothers me. Also, most acronyms when used in place of phrases bother me, though I use a few myself; I prefer that acronyms are used to shorten long names of things as opposed to common phrases.

I have so many, and nearly all of them have already been mentioned. So I will throw in the phrase "I know, right?". This absolutely infuriates me for some reason!

I'm a writer and editor in a corporate communications department, so a lot of the words and phrases I really hate right now are the kind of meaningless corporate-speak I get stuck translating, like:
- think outside the box
- bring the corporation to bear
- low-hanging fruit
- "learnings" (used as a noun - what's wrong with "lessons learned," people?)
- deep dive

oh, I could go on all day.

As the mom of two little ones I would just about horrify Taylor because I use all her most hated words on a daily basis. There's one little-kid word I can't stand, though: "tush" or "tushie" for bottom. *shudder*

I had to think about this for a while...there aren't a lot of words that bother me. Certain phrases, and especially misused grammar, though, is a different story.
"I seen it", as well as the n- and c- words (I flat out refuse to type or say them), are the ones which make me shiver.

Other than that, I can' think of any. I'm sure something will come up in the next few days now the topic is on my mind!

I think I'd offend very many of you. I call myself sexy on a regular basis...it's a wonderful self-esteem boost for me

Edit: Tricia, corporate speak is the worst! "kick the can down the road" is another awful one, and "learnings" made me twitch to hear it.

Una, you know it is! I love that movie.

Aida, I've heard sentences started with "anymore" but never with "too". My mom is guilty of the former.

I also love jargon for its specificity, but only when used appropriately. My profession is rife with it, but don't use it with clients because they don't get it! There is one that makes me giggle: DRI

In behavior, it stands for "differentially reinforced incompatible [behavior]".
But in my punk days it referred to a band: Dirty Rotten Imbeciles.

My brain has been hard at work trying to think of how a sentence could start with "anymore", even as a bad example, and I simply cannot come up with something. I'm glad I've not heard this in person!

Make a sentence that starts with "lately". "Lately it really bothers me when people use words strangely." Then replace it with "anymore". That's how my mom does it.

That makes my brain hurt -_-

In the bad grammer category: "I should've went to the store when I had the chance." Went and gone are used incorrectly on a regular basis in the county where I live. Bugs me but I hear it so often that I now second guess myself when using went and gone!

Then there is the "where are the bathrooms at?" question which I get asked at the restaurant. No, I will not show you the restroom because you ended your sentence with a preposition!

mmm....moist.
Can't stand it!

"Robust"

"Synergy"

Una, I have never heard of either of the examples you gave! Must be Alaskaisms...?

My favorite phrase that is used in my office is "open the kimono." Or rather, DON'T open the kimono. It just amuses me.

Otherwise, I loathe corporate speak.

Just to clarify, I've never heard anyone use "too" at the beginning of a sentence either. RT summed up exactly how I've heard people misuse "anymore".

I asked my husband if any words drive him crazy and he looked at me like I'd lost my mind. Then he came up with "stick-to-it-iveness". Ugh!

Cocolion, how about "where you at?"...

Is "open the kimono" corporate speak I haven't heard yet?? I can't see that one catching on at my company, but it makes me laugh.

Deb knows where I'm coming from!! Robust synergy..ugh.

OK, I'm totally with you on "panties"...ick! I also hate "veggies" for some reason. Maybe too many advertisements telling us to eat our "veggies"....or that a fruit juice contains a full serving of fruits and "veggies." Arghhhh......we're not five-year-olds! In general I oppose the "cutetification" of perfectly good words.

oh....I also hate "tatas" and "boobies" as in "feel them"....

(this is fun!)

LOL @ Tricia ... "Robust" is *so* over used. Can't anyone "think outside the box" anymore?

Another couple of words that make me squeamish:
scrotum
skank

Also hate the use of "anyways." Excuse me? ANYWAYS?????? I really can't stand that.